Review: Song Of The Current by Sarah Tolcser

*HUGE thanks to Bloomsbury, Netgalley & Sarah Tolscer for the eGalley copy of Song of the Current. All opinions are my own.

Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. For generations, her family has been called by the river god, who has guided their wherries on countless voyages throughout the Riverlands. At seventeen, Caro has spent years listening to the water, ready to meet her fate. But the river god hasn’t spoken her name yet—and if he hasn’t by now, there’s a chance he never will.

Caro decides to take her future into her own hands when her father is arrested for refusing to transport a mysterious crate. By agreeing to deliver it in exchange for his release, Caro finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies, with dangerous pirates after the cargo—an arrogant courier with a secret—and without the river god to help her. With so much at stake, Caro must choose between the life she always wanted and the one she never could have imagined for herself.

From debut author Sarah Tolcser comes an immersive and romantic fantasy set along the waterways of a magical world with a headstrong heroine determined to make her mark.

Song Of The Current is THE book you must read if you’ve been seeking adventure in the high seas! the main protagonist Caro has a passion & true calling for sailing and adventure, she is an Orestia after all! Caro is waiting for the day that the River God calls her name to meet her fate however, it hasn’t happened & this makes her question if she’s even cut out for the waterways. Nevertheless she continues to work alongside her father taking contracts to smuggle all sorts of goods (some shadier than others). It is when her father is imprisoned for refusing to help smuggle a highly classified item that Caro is forced to take the helm. She plans to get her dad out of prison with or without the help of the river god by fulfilling the contract her father declined. This job will take her far away from the river she knows so well, into the vast ocean & troubled waters where only a true captain & thrill seeker would dare go. Caro has no idea what lies inside the crate she’s been tasked with transporting in exchange for her father’s freedom, only that it’s highly secretive. We follow Caro on an adventure that may seem like fate after all. This book has it all! Privateers VS. Pirates, people of color, politics, its own mythos, frogmen, Gods, feminism, & a bit of romance.

Diversity rules the pages of Song of the Current & I just LIVED for every single character introduction! Starting with Caro our main female protagonist who is described as being darker skinned with dark reddish colored coiled hair. Although when we meet Caro she is content with life up and down the river alongside her father, we get a sense that hers is a destiny much larger. With Caro, there is nothing traditional & she’s just not having it, this includes any ideologies on being a housewife. Our MC knows what she wants & isn’t afraid to go after it. I loved seeing the strong bond she had with her dad, Father-daughter relationships are my Kryptonite. On their modest ship it’s only three of them: Caro, her dad, and Fee a Frogmen (half human/half frog). They have each others backs and basically just aim to survive until it all changes. Along the way we meet Caro’s mother but I won’t go to much into her role for fear of spoilers. I will say that Caro’s mother is also a POC & that I LOVED her flawed & all! the love interest is another I can’t go into too much detail but I will say that he is the complete opposite of Caro & that the age old saying “opposites attract” would apply here 😉

Song of the Current is THE ULTIMATE! Pirate book so if you’re a hardcore fan of pirates, this is the book you’re going to want to read. Down to the lingo used in the dialogue, you’re getting pirate talk which made for a more authentic reading experience. Earlier in the year I read & LOVED Daughter of the Pirate King (MUST READ! Lol) but I also came across reviewers who felt they didn’t get the full on Pirate experience. Song of the Current will satisfy those looking for a Pirates of the Caribbean experience. The pacing however, if i’m being completely honest, was a bit on the slower side to start. However, I was never bored and the the story itself hooked me in (see what I did there? ehhh) from the very start. The love interest wasn’t my favorite but I’m beginning to see more & more of that in YA Fantasy with strong female heroines. My thoughts on the romance are that it isn’t made to take center stage to Caro’s story & in that sense I was OK with it, her feelings are explained in the book. The world building was A+ from the lingo, clothing, way of life, and mythos behind the Gods. This is book 1 in what I think is a duology? (correct me if I’m wrong) & the ending (one of my faves) was perfect! just enough to make me want to come back for more. After-all, Caros fate awaits her…

Have any of you bookworms picked this one up yet? If you have, how did this adventure fare with you? excited for the sequel? let me know in the comments 😉

Now this sounds like a fantastic read! I’m one of those readers who enjoyed Daughter of the Pirate King but also didn’t feel as if I got a fully immersive pirate experience. This one, however, sounds right up my alley! And I loved that the main character is POC. And who doesn’t enjoy a bit of feminism in a YA nowadays! This one sounds like it has quite a bit going for it! I just might have to read it one day 😀 Fantastic review, Lilly!

Thank you Azia! I was one that didn’t know what I was missing in DOTPK because the author of that book did so well with Alosa that I didn’t mind. Also, the humor in DOTPK was what really made me fall in love with it. Now, reading this one was a completely different experience & I LOVED that! both great books but as a lover & promoter of diversity across all genres, I’d say Song of the Current was a stronger book. Fully immersive pirate experience & feminism at its best 🙂

I loved Alosa! She was fantastic. The humor was spot on, too! 😀 And I’m also trying to read more diverse books, so I might enjoy Song of the Current a bit more! It sounds like it has so much going for it 😀 Thanks for sharing this one!

Yes! Agreed 😃 & this one although on the slower side is absolutely worth every minute. The diversity alone makes it stand out & I’m looking forward to more from this author. You’re so very welcome & thank you for stopping by 💜

Great review!! I don’t know why, maybe because of I recently saw the newest Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but I have been so in the mood to read pirate books! I actually just started reading Daughter of the Pirate King and am loving it so far! But, this books sounds AMAZING! I will have to pick it up next!

Lily! This book sounds awesome! I’m always looking for books about pirates and the high seas (I feel like I can never get enough of those). I still have to read Daughter of the Pirate King, but I’m going to add this book to my TBR as well. 😀

Thank you Rachel! Someone who shares my love for high seas adventure 🙌🏼 DOTPK was so much fun, I seriously lost track of the times I LOL’d in public 😂 but this one is the authentic pirate experience. Loved both for different reasons & I hope you enjoy them as well when you get around to them ☺️💕

I skimmed this review because I haven’t read this book myself but I’m really glad to see you enjoyed this one Lilly. I’m hoping to start Song of the Current myself soon, possibly even this week but no promises or anything. I don’t mind books that start slow as long as there’s something that hooks you, and it sounds like there was definitely that in this book. Also it’s a shame about the love interest but at least it didn’t overshadow Caro’s individual development, that’s all I really ask for now in YA books! 😀

I have not read many pirate books. I read Seas in the Wendy Darling series by Colleen Oaks and fell in love with the pirate element. I am starting the new book in the series and can’t wait. I will have to add this! I am particularly curious about Fee. What an interesting character he could be!

Yes! I remember you telling me about Colleen Oaks & now every time I pass by her books at B&N I always say “Danielle read that” LOL! I hope you enjoy the next book in the Wendy Darling series & i’ll be on the lookout for your thoughts 😉 & OMG Fee is one of my fave supporting characters but I didn’t want to go into too much detail cuz that to me is spoilery.

Another pirate book added to my TBR! because we need more of them. This one sounds fantastic and I’m already loving how the romance isn’t center stage and that Caro is PoC. whoop whoop! This one sounds like a winner. Great review as always ❤